Art

Cey Adams talks Def Jam, Logos, Album Covers, Giving Back, Paintings and Murals

Published

3 years ago

April 25, 2017

New York Said Podcast

I met up with Cey Adams at his studio in Brooklyn and talked about his journey as an artist in New York. We discuss his motivation to give back and inspire those who will carry the mantle of creativity forward. We also discuss his contribution to the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and much, much, more.

Thumbnail Photography Courtesy of Janette Beckman

Stay Up to Date with Cey Adams

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Talking Points (In No Particular Order)

Early days of Graffiti
Def Jam
Creative Director
Drawing Board
Logos
Hand Lettering
Rush Artist Advisory Board
Giving Back to Young People
Paving the would for artist of today
Mentors
Power of Music
Power of Culture
The Importance of pushing Art Forward
Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol
20 Years: Getting Attention of Major Galleries and Museums
Music and Civil Rights in the 80s
Challenges and Obstacles
Highs and Lows of being an Artist
Paintings and Murals: One Nation, All American, Trusted Brands
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Links to the Stuff they Talked About

Mary J Blige – What’s the 411?

LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out

Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Hat

Nobody Beats the Wiz Commercial

Zenith

Meshell Ndegeocello

The Roots

The National Museum of African American History and Culture

This episode is sponsored by Gorilla Coffee.

Art

Solving for X with The Mazeking

Published

2 months ago

May 14, 2020

New York Said Podcast

Listen to New York Said wherever you get your podcasts:
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In this episode The Mazeking and Amon talk meditation, Marcel Duchamp, Buddhism, film, physics, the big bang theory, being bullied, the process of living and the purpose of art.

More About The Mazeking

Official Website

Saatchi Art

Instagram

American artist The Mazeking 飛龍 (Gabriel Asoka) is known for creating colorful, bold, and provocative artworks. He officially began making art in 1998 and started painting, creating various works, ranging from oil on canvas to acrylic on paper. The majority of his work is done in themed series, sometimes taking months or even a year to complete.

In 2002, Asoka had his first solo exhibition in Los Angeles at the O’Melveny Gallery. His love of life, and passion for exploration springs forth in his works of art. His works are about the Unseen (esoteric), Balance (duality), and Energy; what Asoka calls the “three keys”. When asked about his subject matter “I have always been deeply drawn to the esoteric (spirit), science and philosophy. Which are all, one and the same to me”. Inspired by everything from daily encounters to dreams, he explores various themes, including consciousness, sexuality, and the mystical, offering us a richer and more engaging perspective.

Asoka utilizes colors, contrast and forms as symbols. “I’ve used symbols in almost all my work, sometimes it’s just the color of something, or a shape or form, to represent an aspect of something, states of mind or experiences. It’s something that arose in my life and work over time and became part of my process”. Asoka places no labels or categories upon his work. He does not see art in classifications or categories, such as abstract or representational, stating “Everything is abstract in a way and representational in another way, it’s all perception”.

Over the years, his artworks have been collected by private collectors and can be seen in exhibitions around the world. The Mazeking currently lives and works in New York City.

Art by Artist The Mazeking, Happiness Here Street Art.

Show Notes

Albert Einstein: An Equation That Changed the World – http://amzn.to/2gBvGeK
Physics – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics
The Big Bang Theory – http://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html
Edwin Hubble – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Hubble
Plato – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato
Aristotle – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle
Francis Bacon (Painter) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon_(artist)
Francis Bacon (Philosopher) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon
Buddhism – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
Meditation – http://www.how-to-meditate.org
Michael Jackson – http://www.michaeljackson.com
Marvin Gaye – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye
Martial Arts – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts
The Peabody Institute – http://www.peabody.jhu.edu
Bob Dylan – http://bobdylan.com
David Bowie – http://legacy.davidbowie.com
Ford EXP – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_EXP
Miles Davis – https://www.milesdavis.com
Nicolaus Copernicus – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus
Steven Spielberg – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg
Allen Ginsberg – http://allenginsberg.org
Jack Kerouac – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kerouac
Cut-up technique – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut-up_technique
Lenny Kravitz – http://www.lennykravitz.com
Sleepless in Seattle – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108160/
The Meteor Man (film) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Meteor_Man_(film)
Tim Burton – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Burton
Bob Costas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Costas
Tim Burton on Bob Costas (Part 1) – https://vimeo.com/147308442
Tim Burton on Bob Costas (Part 2) – https://vimeo.com/147605666
Mars Attacks! – https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mars_attacks/
Kokayi Ampah – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0025346/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr504
Union IATSE – http://www.iatse-intl.org
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) – http://www.ilm.com
Phil Tippett – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864138/
Compositing – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing
Softimage – http://www.autodesk.com/products/softimage/overview
3DS Max – http://www.autodesk.com/products/3ds-max/overview
Maya – http://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview

The Formula Painting by Artist The Mazeking

Render farm – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Render_farm
Blue Sky – http://blueskystudios.com
Digital Domain – http://digitaldomain.com
Adobe Photoshop – http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html
Adobe Illustrator – https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/tutorials.html
QuarkXPress – http://www.quark.com/Products/QuarkXPress/
Smithsonian Institution – https://www.si.edu
Metropolitan Museum of Art - http://www.metmuseum.org
Auguste Rodin – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auguste_Rodin
Salvador Dalí – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Dal%C3%AD
Marcel Duchamp – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp
Claude Monet – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet
Pablo Picasso – http://www.picasso.fr/us/picasso_page_index.php
Caravaggio – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio
Rembrandt – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rembrandt
Conceptual Art – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_art
Contemporary Art – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_art
Fine Art – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_art
Modern Art – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_art
Julian Schnabel – http://www.julianschnabel.com
Julian Schnabel Gagosian – http://www.gagosian.com/artists/julian-schnabel
Art Basel – https://www.artbasel.com
World Cup – http://www.fifa.com/worldcup
Terry Gilliam – http://terrygilliamweb.com
George Carlin – https://georgecarlin.com
Nikola Tesla – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla

Fashion Maze Carine Roitfeld by Artist The Mazeking

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We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode. Leave a comment on the Apple Podcast App and don’t forget to rate the show.

Art

The Story of KRINK with Craig Costello

Published

3 months ago

April 24, 2020

New York Said Podcast

Krink ® New York City, Courtesy Craig Costello

Krink ® New York City, Courtesy of Craig Costello

Listen to New York Said wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn

Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention should have been the title of this week’s podcast episode but it’s already the title of Craig Costello’s new book that just dropped with Rizzoli.

In this episode Craig and Amon talk about growing up in Queens, life in San Francisco, the birth of Krink, Alife, minimizing risk, field testing, racking and the challenges of growing a small business.

Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention By Craig Costello, Published by Rizzoli

More About Craig

Craig Costello, aka KR, grew up in Queens, New York, where graffiti was part of the landscape and a symbol of the city. While living in San Francisco, he quickly garnered attention when his signature “KR” tag popped up throughout the city. As he became one of the more prominent figures on the streets of NYC and SF, he began to hone his craft by creating better tools launching his own line of homemade markers and mops, combining his moniker KR with the word INK. In Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention, Costello has compiled a visual memoir: from his early days of the ’80s and ’90s and launch with the hip New York City retailer Alife, which put his brand on the map, to his evolution as an artist and high-fashion collaborator.

Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention By Craig Costello, Published by Rizzoli

More about the Book

The book showcases Costello’s seminal style and his extensive body of work, including site-specific installations around the world. It also chronicles his myriad collaborations with Alife, Nike, Coach, Moncler, Modernica, Marc Jacobs, Levi Strauss & Co., Mini (BMW), Carhartt, Casio G-Shock, Kidrobot, Medicom Toy, Stance, agnès b., and colette, among many others. Today, Costello’s reach and influence goes far beyond urban street culture. Krink has grown exponentially into a global artist materials brand with expanding collections of apparel, tools, and accessories; while Costello’s unique aesthetic can be seen on objects from sneakers to luxury goods to cars.

Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention is both stylish and informative, capturing the ethos of punk and hip-hop culture, and is sure to appeal to the fans of high/low cultural crossovers, as well as die-hard fans of street art and fashion.

Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention By Craig Costello, Published by Rizzoli

Show Notes

Craig Costello
KRINK
Taking Risks
Conservative on the risk tip
Minimized Risk
Keeping KRINK a Secret
Drippy Tags
Didn’t write graffiti on trains in the 80s
Ink tags
Ditto machine
Mimeograph
Supermarket ink
Grew up in New York
Graffiti traditions
Making ink
Being resourceful
Graffiti zines
Skills Magazine #7
TAKI 183
Cornbread
Silver KRINK
The early process of making KRINK
Field testing the product
Stop racking
ESPO
The Art of Getting Over
Alife
Futura and Stash Recon Store
Getting press
The Fader
Keeping costs down
Learning things the hard way
No plan
Pigment in solvent
Graffiti carries a lot of baggage
Minimal actions
The Red Door
Sculptural piece
Beyond the Streets
Scaling up using color
Using fire extinguishers
Skating banks at JFK
Infamy (Film)
Kunle Martins “Earsnot”
IRAK
Dash Snow
Giant silver drippy tags
Controlling the narrative
Keep things extremely simple
Canon G7
Curious Artist
Ricardo Gonzalez – It’s A Living
Shantell Martin
Built in aesthetic
“Don’t Blame the Tool, Blame the Fool”
Hand made in small batches
Keeping the standard
Quality Control
Trust yourself
Self-doubt

~~~
We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode. Leave a comment on the Apple Podcast App and don’t forget to rate the show.

Art

Inside the Mind of Jim Tozzi

Published

3 months ago

April 7, 2020

New York Said Podcast

Jim Tozzi

Jim and Amon sort of go off the rails talking about Wonder Showzen, PFFR, Bert’s Tit, Underground Comics, almost drowning, the Mystery of Picasso, food fights, Federico Fellini, Chuck Jones, puppets, sharpening your eye, sewing machines, Chewties and a bunch of other stuff.

More About Jim Tozzi

Instagram
Threadless

Jim Tozzi grew up in Everett, a city to the north of Boston. The most distinctive thing about this town was the smell of freshly roasted peanuts due to the Teddie Peanut Butter factory. The factory’s emblem, a grinning cartoon bear with a bucket, would be one of the first influences of advertising on Jim. He went to Everett public school: always an outsider, he preferred drawing weird cartoons and watching monster movies to playing sports.

Jim Tozzi

In his early teens, Jim borrowed a super 8 camera from his Aunt and began experimenting. Lacking a tripod, he would tape the camera down onto the kitchen table and animate various toys, Star Wars figures and clay monsters. He also created a live action series starring his little sister as “Chico” the heavily mustachioed drug dealer who would meet an unlikely demise in every episode. Jim went on to study film and illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. He continued doing both animated and live action films creating a short film parody of an after school special called “Sunday School Girls” which tackled the subject of what Jesus really looked like.

Jim Tozzi

Jim moved to New York and started working at Broadcast Arts inking and painting animation cels. He also started directing music videos for obscure alternative bands. One of the first was for Mercury Rev and featured Ron Jeremy as a floating space traveler. Jim approached Nick at Nite with his reel and some promo ideas; he was brought on to TV Land to come up with a new promo campaign. This campaign conceived, written and directed with his wife Vezna, developed into the award winning “Twip” series. “Twip” was an imaginary product in which it’s evolution was traced in commercial parodies from the early 1950′s through the 90′s. Now as a directing team, the “Tozzi’s” signed on to Bob Giraldi’s company and began directing spots for Miller Lite, Sprite and Florida’s anti-tobacco campaign. The “Tozzi’s” split up and Jim went solo; joining M-80 he directed an award winning campaign for Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Treats for Leo Burnett. He went on to direct comedy spots for Sony Playstation, Nick at Nite and Miller. In his free time Jim likes to draw, paint, take long quiet walks and is a member of the art collective PFFR. Jim is now signed with THEM and living in New York.